The awkward tension from the river incident lingered.
Aeliana refused to look at Evolis directly, and when she did, her silver eyes darted away far too quickly. Her entire demeanor screamed flustered but pretending not to be.
Evolis, on the other hand, was enjoying every second of it.
He stretched lazily as they walked through the strange, glowing forest, his smirk just barely restrained. "You know, Aeliana, I think you've been staring at my back a lot lately. If you wanted another massage, you could've just asked."
Aeliana stumbled mid-step, her face immediately heating up. "I—You—!"
"Oh my," Orion suddenly chimed in from behind them, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You two get separated for one night, and suddenly there's all this tension in the air. Oh, how fast kids grow these days."
Aeliana spun to glare at Orion, her blush deepening. "SHUT UP!"
Evolis just smirked. "Don't be mad just because he noticed."
Aeliana almost went for her sword.
Orion whistled innocently, raising his hands. "Hey, I'm just saying, I leave you two alone for a couple of hours and—oh? What's this? The great Aeliana blushing?" He gasped dramatically. "Unbelievable."
Evolis chuckled, while Aeliana muttered death threats under her breath.
"You're both insufferable," she grumbled, crossing her arms and marching ahead.
Evolis turned to Orion, amused. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Oh, absolutely," Orion said cheerfully. "Flirting in a Secret Realm of Certain Death? You have guts, kid."
Aeliana huffed, shooting Orion a glare sharp enough to cut stone. "I am not flirting."
Orion raised a brow, smirking. "Oh? So you're saying he's the one flirting, then?"
Aeliana stumbled over a root, her face turning several shades of pink. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID."
Evolis chuckled, casually adjusting the weight of his steps using his Gravity Affinity. "Hey! Don't you find it shameful to bully such a cute girl" He said with a righteous look on his face.
Aeliana inhaled sharply. "I swear—"
Orion waved them off with a dramatic sigh. "Alright, alright, save the romance for later. We have bigger problems."
His voice turned serious.
Evolis and Aeliana straightened instinctively.
The etherion-dense air around them made it hard to relax completely, even with the momentary humor.
Orion glanced around, scanning the environment. "So. What's the next move?"
Evolis exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "First, we need to establish some goals."
Aeliana nodded. "Finding an exit would be nice."
Orion smirked. "Yeah, I don't think that's happening anytime soon, princess."
She kicked a loose pebble at him.
Evolis rolled his eyes. "Focus. Let's list our priorities."
Aeliana crossed her arms. "We don't know how big this place is or how time flows here. For all we know, an hour here could be a week outside."
Evolis frowned. That was a possibility he hadn't considered.
"We need a base of operations," he said. "A place to regroup if things go south."
Orion stretched. "Somewhere high up would be ideal. If there's floating islands, we should take advantage of them. Height gives us visibility, and fewer things to ambush us."
Aeliana frowned. "Except we can't fly, Orion."
Evolis smirked. "Says who?"
She shot him a look.
He simply tapped his Gravity Affinity, making himself weightless for a second before casually floating a few inches off the ground.
Aeliana groaned. "You and your broken abilities…"
Orion chuckled. "Alright, so we find higher ground. Next?"
"Mapping the Realm & Finding Resources."
Evolis gestured to the strange, glowing rivers. "Etherion is abundant here, but we don't know if it's safe to absorb directly. Some realms have corrupt energy."
Aeliana nodded. "We should test it before using it. If the etherion here is too potent, it could damage our cores."
Orion raised a brow. "And how do we do that?"
Evolis smirked. "Easy. We make you absorb it first."
Orion stared at him, unimpressed. "Oh, ha ha. Hilarious."
Aeliana chuckled before clearing her throat. "Jokes aside, we need a way to store and purify any resources we gather."
Evolis pondered with a serious expression. "But unfortunately we don't have an alchemist with us."
She blinked. "Well..."
"Hm?" He said as he turned towards her.
"I'm an alchemist," she pointed out.
Evolis looked at her with a disbelieving gaze. "You do know that means you know how to refine things, how to process raw materials into something usable. If we find water, herbs, or anything useful, you can make them safer for us and so forth."
Aeliana then nodded with a smug look on her face. "...I can do that."
Orion whistled. "So not only are you an ice-cold warrior, but you also know how to mix potions? Damn, kid, what can't you do?"
Evolis looked at Aeliana as if he'd found a piece of gold in a coal mine. "Looks like I lucked out"
Aeliana flushed slightly before muttering, "Shut up."
Evolis grinned. "That settles it. We gather supplies and make sure whatever we take in won't kill us."
"Then we need to find the Heart of the Realm."
Evolis' gaze sharpened. "The reason we came here in the first place. To find out what the dark elves are using to strengthen themselves."
Aeliana exhaled. "Right. If there's something hidden in this realm, it won't be easy to find."
"Or easy to take," Orion added.
Evolis glanced upward, towards the floating islands, his mind working.
"There's always a pattern to these kinds of places. If this is a sealed inheritance realm, then the remnant won't be out in the open."
Aeliana frowned. "You think it's locked behind trials?"
"Almost certainly," Evolis said. "This place was meant to keep people out, or at least, test the ones who get in."
Orion sighed. "So what I'm hearing is, we need to find the hardest, most dangerous place in this realm and walk directly into it?"
Evolis smirked. "That about sums it up."
Orion pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why did I agree to this…"
Aeliana rolled her eyes. "Because you're just as reckless as he is."
Orion sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just hope whatever's watching us doesn't get any bright ideas."
The tension from earlier had faded completely.
Now, they had a direction. A purpose.
As they continued through the shimmering forest, the trees grew taller, their bark etched with ancient runes that pulsed softly in rhythm with the air.
The river beside them cascaded upwards, twisting into the sky before disappearing into nothingness.
Evolis' golden eyes flickered as he scanned the surroundings, his Seer's Gaze barely missing something just outside his perception.
Something was watching them.
Not the passive awareness of beasts.
Something intelligent.
Something waiting.
His fingers twitched at his sides, as his instincts started acting up.
Orion stretched, glancing at Evolis. "So. What's our first move?"
Evolis exhaled, his smirk returning.
"Let's go hunting."
Evolis noticed it first, the faint hum of Etherion-dense plant life.
The three of them stopped near a small grove where an odd plant was growing. Its leaves shimmered between emerald and violet, almost translucent, pulsating faintly like a heartbeat.
Aeliana crouched, brushing her fingers over the ground. "This… this is a Voidroot Blossom."
Evolis raised a brow. "That sounds important."
Aeliana nodded, eyes gleaming. "It is. Voidroot absorbs raw Etherion and refines it into a purer form. If prepared correctly, it can help push someone through bottlenecks in their cultivation."
Evolis' interest sharpened. This could help him break through to Peak Novice Stage.
Orion, however, looked less impressed. "That's nice and all, but you two do realize that every rare herb in the world comes with a deadly guardian, right?"
Aeliana stiffened.
Evolis sighed. "Of course it does."
A low growl rumbled from the shadows.
Then—movement.
From the mist beyond the grove, two enormous feline creatures emerged. Their fur shimmered like liquid shadows, making them blend seamlessly into the darkness. Their eyes, however, burned a bright gold, locked onto the intruders with terrifying intelligence.
Etherfang Panthers.
Predatory beasts with stealth abilities, built for silent kills.
"Alright," Orion said, cracking his knuckles. "This is a perfect training opportunity."
Aeliana and Evolis turned to him in disbelief. "Training?!"
Orion grinned. "Yep. You two are getting an assassination lesson."
Evolis blinked. "We could just kill them normally, you know?"
Orion gave him a flat look. "And waste a perfect chance to hone your skills? You wanna survive in this world, kid? Learn how to kill efficiently."
Evolis exhaled. He couldn't argue with that logic.
Orion continued. "Etherfang Panthers are fast, silent, and hunt in pairs. They rely on their ability to vanish mid-motion, making it nearly impossible for normal warriors to track them." He pointed at their surroundings. "Which means direct combat is stupid."
Aeliana frowned. "So, what's the plan?"
Orion's grin sharpened. "We use their own tactics against them."
Orion moved like a ghost, his posture shifting, his stance lowering.
"The key to assassination isn't just about moving quietly," he murmured. "It's about becoming part of the environment. You don't just avoid being seen—you make them forget you're even there."
Evolis narrowed his eyes, watching Orion fade into the background, his presence shrinking until even Evolis' Etherion Sight struggled to track him.
Aeliana's eyes widened. "That's… advanced."
Orion smirked. "Took me years to master. But you two? You have Etherion affinities that can help."
Orion crouched low, his voice steady as he issued instructions.
"You need to move like a shadow. Every step you take must be controlled, every breath measured. If you make a single mistake, they'll hear you, feel you, and in this environment, you won't get a second chance."
His silver eyes flickered between Evolis and Aeliana, assessing.
He turned to Evolis first.
"You? Use Gravity to lighten your steps. Reduce the force of your movement, make yourself weightless, and adjust the pull of your presence. You don't just walk, you glide. You become an afterthought in the environment, something that doesn't register. Use your Plantae element to subtly shift the terrain beneath you, roots that provide footing, branches that soften your movement, leaves that won't crunch underfoot. And your Space Affinity? Bend the air around your form, distort the light just enough to make yourself a blur."
Evolis nodded sharply, focusing.
Then Orion turned to Aeliana.
"And you? Your Wind Affinity can disperse vibrations in the air. Mask the sound of your breathing, distort the airflow around your body. Done right, even expert trackers won't know you're there."
Aeliana frowned in concentration, her silver eyes glimmering in the dim light.
Orion studied her for a moment, then added, "There's something else about your energy sometimes—your Etherion signature is a little… strange. Try focusing. Let your instincts guide you."
Aeliana blinked, confused. "What does that mean?"
"You tell me," Orion said simply.
She pursed her lips but closed her eyes, reaching inward.
And something responded.
A faint pulse of silver energy flickered at her fingertips, subtle, elusive, almost like it didn't want to be seen.
Orion raised a brow. "Huh."
Aeliana frowned, staring at the energy flowing between her fingers. "I don't—what is this?"
Orion shrugged. "Looks like something you should figure out. Whatever it is, it's subtle. Use it."
Aeliana inhaled sharply.
She had never tried that before.
"Stealth isn't just about not making noise," Orion continued. "It's about not being noticed. When you master that, you don't just move unseen. You move forgotten."
Evolis smirked. "Sounds dramatic."
Orion gave him a deadpan stare. "You're about to fight magic-infused panthers that could kill you in seconds. Maybe take this seriously."
Evolis sighed. "Fine, fine."
He and Aeliana closed their eyes, focusing.
It wasn't easy.
Evolis tried to lighten his steps, using Gravity to reduce his weight, then using his space element he tried distorting the surrounding air to make himself less visible, and then using his plantae affinity he tried shifting the surroundings to make it easier for him to traverse through. And the results... well...
He tripped over an exposed root and landed on the ground. His space element sputtering out as he lost concentration. Even for him using three elements simultaneously and with such complex applications was extremely taxing.
Aeliana stifled a laugh.
Orion smacked the back of Evolis' head.
"You're not a damn feather. Balance it. Reduce just enough weight to move smoothly. You still need momentum. And then focus on using only one element for now. Once you've got that one right then use one more and so forth."
Evolis grumbled under his breath, adjusting.
Aeliana, on the other hand, tried to channel her Wind Affinity to mute her presence. She could disperse sound well enough, but controlling airflow around her body?
That was harder.
She shifted slightly—and a gust of wind blew a pile of leaves away, scattering noisily.
The nearest panther's ears twitched.
It raised its head.
Aeliana froze, heart hammering.
Orion sighed. "Too much force. You're not trying to summon a damn storm, Aeliana. It's about precision."
Aeliana clenched her jaw, frustration mounting.
They tried again.
And again.
And again.
Each time, they improved, but small mistakes kept slipping through.
Evolis adjusted his Space Affinity, bending light to blur his outline, but a shifting blur was still noticeable.
Aeliana suppressed her presence, but without full control, the air pressure around her felt unnatural, like a void.
The panthers didn't rely on sight alone.
They sensed changes in the air, in the pressure, in the unnatural shifts.
Which meant that every mistake was felt.
And they only had so many mistakes before the panthers acted.
Orion exhaled sharply. "Focus. Feel your surroundings. You're not separate from them—you're part of them. The best assassins aren't unseen because they hide."
"They're unseen because they belong."
That shifted something.
Evolis let out a slow breath.
He could feel the energy in the air, the hum of life in the forest, the quiet pulse of Etherion beneath his feet.
Instead of forcing the space around him to obey, he simply blended into it.
His Gravity adjusted seamlessly, just enough to remove impact from his steps.
His Space Affinity didn't just distort the air, it let him move with it, letting the natural shifts guide his form.
Aeliana, too, adjusted.
She didn't fight the Wind.
She became it.
Her body adapted, moving with the natural currents, guiding the airflow gently instead of forcing it into submission.
And then, something new stirred within her.
That silver energy flickered again, this time more clearly, weaving into her Etherion.
She didn't even fully understand what she was doing.
But when she focused—
She wasn't there.
Not hidden.
Not invisible.
Just… forgotten.
The first panther perked up.
It felt something.
It knew something had changed.
But by the time it reacted—
It was already dead.
Evolis struck first.
A dagger made of pure, sharpened Gravity formed in his grip—silent, lethal, merciless.
His space distortion sharpened the blade further, creating a weapon that ignored resistance, phasing just enough to bypass its thick fur before solidifying inside the panther's skull.
The beast collapsed without a sound.
Aeliana moved next.
She didn't go for a straight attack, she guided the energy around her, weaving herself into the realm's natural stillness.
That silver energy flickered again, coating her blade in something weightless, ethereal.
The second panther didn't even realize she was there until her blade sank into its throat.
No wasted motion.
No sound.
Just death.
By the time the last panther twitched, the fight was already over.
Evolis exhaled, collapsing onto the ground sweating. "That was… surprisingly smooth."
Orion smirked. "You're welcome."
Aeliana inspected the corpse of her panther, breathing heavily. "That was harder than I thought."
"Yeah," Evolis admitted. "Took a while to get it right."
Orion crossed his arms. "And now you know why assassins don't rely on brute force. A sword swing, a fire spell, those are easy. What you two just did? That's real skill."
Evolis tilted his head. "So you're saying we're skilled?"
Orion scoffed. "I'm saying you're less terrible."
Aeliana rolled her eyes, but a small smirk tugged at her lips.
Orion clapped his hands. "Alright, we've got the stealth part down. Next lesson, making sure they stay dead."
Evolis grinned. "Oh? You mean I could've killed them more?"
Orion sighed. "We are going to be here for a long time…"
Aeliana chuckled.
For now?
They had won their first battle.
But they all knew—
The next one?
It wouldn't be this easy.
The Secret Realm was just getting started.
With the beasts slain, they collected the Voidroot Blossoms.
Aeliana sat down, carefully examining the plants, her fingers moving with practiced precision as she extracted the purest parts.
Evolis watched her, arms crossed. "You're really good at this."
Aeliana paused. "I should be."
He raised a brow. "Oh?"
She hesitated, then sighed. "I was trained by my mother."
Evolis blinked. "She must have been a really good teacher." He muttered softly.
A small imperceptible smile crept onto her face. "Yes, she was."
He smirked. "Why didn't you mention this before?"
Aeliana shrugged. "Never came up."
Orion snorted. "You're telling me, we've been travelling with a trained alchemist, and you never thought to use that knowledge until now?"
Aeliana muttered something under her breath before looking back at the herbs. "I can prepare them properly. If we take these now, they'll help push us towards the Peak of the Novice Stage."
Evolis watched as Aeliana worked, his golden eyes narrowing as he observed the subtle way her hands moved—precise, practiced. She handled the herbs with a familiarity that spoke of years of experience, not hesitation or second-guessing.
Alchemy had always been something he dismissed as overly complicated. Too many delicate procedures, too much patience required for results that could often be achieved faster through direct Etherion manipulation.
And yet—
As Aeliana crushed the glowing leaves, a faint silver light pulsed from her fingertips, subtly guiding the energies within the plants, amplifying their properties rather than merely grinding them down.
The air itself seemed to hum in response.
It wasn't just about mixing ingredients. It was about understanding them. Controlling their latent power. Restructuring their very essence into something greater.
Alchemy wasn't just science.
It was art.
Evolis crossed his arms, intrigued. "You really know what you're doing."
Aeliana didn't glance up. "Obviously."
Evolis smirked. "Never figured you for an alchemist."
She arched a brow. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Evolis."
That piqued his interest further.
For a moment, he simply watched. He could see the subtle way she infused her Etherion into the process, stabilizing the volatile properties of the plants, coaxing them into harmonizing rather than conflicting.
And the results?
Power—pure, refined power.
It was efficient.
It was methodical.
It was… impressive.
Evolis exhaled, his smirk turning thoughtful. "Huh."
Aeliana glanced at him. "What?"
He shrugged, stretching lazily. "Nothing. Just thinking… might not be a bad idea to learn this myself."
She blinked, caught off guard. Then, a slow, knowing smirk spread across her lips.
"Oh? And here I thought you had no patience for 'tedious' things."
Evolis chuckled. "I don't. But I do have patience for power. And this?" He gestured at the mixture in her hands. "Looks like the kind I might want to get my hands on."
Aeliana shook her head, muttering under her breath. "Great. That's all we need—you getting into alchemy."
Evolis leaned back against a tree, grinning. "So when are you teaching me?"
Aeliana blinked. "Hm?"
"Are you not going to teach me alchemy?" he said, a playful smile on his face.
She narrowed her eyes. "Why would I do that?"
Evolis smirked. "Because if you do, I'll give you another massage."
Aeliana's face turned scarlet.
Orion wheezed.
"You are INSUFFERABLE!" Aeliana sputtered.
Evolis laughed. "So that's a yes, then?"
Aeliana groaned. "F-Fine. But only if we get out of this realm alive."
Evolis' grin widened. "Deal."